Straight bar multihead knitting machine



June 17, 1969 5, WEST ET AL 3,449,930

STRAIGHT BAR MULTIHEAD KNITTING MACHINE Filed Feb. 6, 1967 Sheet 2 of 17 June 17, 1969 -r ET AL 3,449,930

STRAIGHT BAR MULTIHEAD KNITTING MACHINE Filed Feb. 6, 1967 Sheet of 17 June 17, 1969 WEST ET AL STRAIGHT BAR MULTIHEAD KNITTING MACHINE Sheet Filed Feb. 6, 1967 June 17, 1969 E. WEST ET AL STRAIGHT BAR MULTIHEAD KNITTING MACHINE Sheet Filed Feb. 6, 1967 vim June 17, 1969 5, WEST ET'AL STRAIGHT BAR MULTIHEAD KNITTING MACHINE Sheet Filed Feb. 6, 1967 R? 8 2 4 x 5 W 7p, m! o m NJ. 0

June 17, 1969 E. WEST ET 3,449,930

I STRAIGHT BAR MULTIHEAD KNITTING MACHINE Filed Feb. 6, 1967 Sheet 6 of 17 5515: ,023 49 pt 26 b June 17, 1969 E. WEST ET AL STRAIGHT BAR MULTIHEAD KNITTING MACHINE Sheet Filed Feb. 6, 1967 June 17, 1969 5;, WEST ET AL 3,449,930

STRAIGHT BAR MULTIHEAD KNITTING MACHINE Filed Feb. 6, 1967 Sheet 5 of 17 June 17, 1969 E. WEST ET AL 3,449,930

STRAIGHT BAR MULTIHEAD KNITTING MACHINE Filed Feb. 6, 1967 Sheet 9 of 17 June 17, 1969 E. WEST ET AL 3,449,930

STRAIGHT BAR MULTIHEAD KNITTING MACHINE Filed Feb. 6, 1967 Sheet /0 of 17 June 17, 1969 E. WEST ET 3,449,930

smmmn'r BAR MULTIHEAD KNITTING MACHINE Filed Feb. 6, 1967 Sheet of 17 June 17, 1969 v E. WEST ETAL 3,449,930

STRAIGHT BAR MULTIHEAD KNITTING MACHINE Filed Feb. 6, 1967 Sheet A? of 17 June 17, 1969 5;, WEST ET AL 3,449,930

STRAIGHT BAR MULTIHEAD KNITTING MACHINE Filed Feb. 6, 1967 v Sheet 3 of 17 June 17, 1969 E. WEST ET AL 3,449,930

STRAIGHT BAR MULTIHEAD KNITTING MACHINE Filed Feb. 6, 1967 Sheet /4 of 17 June 17, 1969 WEST ETAL 3,449,930

STRAIGHT BAR MULTIHEAD KNITTING MACHINE I Filed Feb. 6, 1967 Sheet 5 of 17 June 17, 1969 WEST ET AL 3,449,930

STRAIGHT BAR MULTIHEAD KNITTING MACHINE Filed Feb. 6, 1967 Sheet I of 17 June 17, 1969 WE T ET AL 3,449,930

STRAIGHT BAR MULTIHEAD KNITTING MACHINE Filed Feb. 6, 1967 Sheet 7 of 17 United States Patent US. Cl. 66--88 15 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A straight-bar knitting machine which can change from rib to plain knitting. The machine has vertical frame needles selected ones of which are rendered inoperative for rib knitting, and horizontal machine needles positionable in the spaces vacated by imperative frame needles. Each machine needle comprises an outer element having a yarn-receiving and lope-forming hook and an operating butt, and a pair of inner loop-retaining elements which are longitudinally movable together relatively to the outer element and formed with side-by-side operating butts. These needles co-operate with frame needles in knitting a roll welt and rib fabric. Rib loops are transferred from machine needles to frame needles preparatory to knitting plain on the latter only.

This invention appertains to straight-bar knitting machines of the Cottons patent or similar type for producing outer garments and the like.

Such knitted garments are customarily mainly plain knitted but provided at their lower ends with rib borders or welts.

Heretofore, it has been the more common practice to separately produce rib knitted borders or welts in strings, with waste courses and draw threads between them, on a flat rib knitting machine. Then, after separation of the rib borders or welts from the string, by removal of the draw threads, the terminal course of loops of each border or welt are initially placed upon or picked up by individual points of a rib transfer bar. The loaded transfer bars are then systematically placed upon a combined bar conveyor and feed apparatus which is mounted upon a straight-bar knitting machine is so constructed and operable as first to convey the loaded bars longitudinally along the machine to the relevant heads or divisions and then to deliver the said bars into corresponding rib transfer saddles. After advancement of each saddle towards the corresponding needle bar, the loaded rib transfer bar is moved to transfer the terminal course of loops of rib knitting on to the frame needles preparatory to the production on the latter of plain knitting in continuation of the rib knitting. The saddle is thereupon retracted and the now empty rib transfer bar is returned to its starting position by the bar conveyor and feed apparatus.

It will accordingly be appreciated that the continuous production of garments is dependent to some extent on the continuous supply of loaded transfer bars for placing upon the bar conveyor and feed apparatus, after the empty transfer bars have been removed therefrom.

But in order to obviate the necessity for rib borders or Welts to be separately produced on another machine, it has already previously been proposed to provide a straight-bar knitting machine of a form adapted to pro- 3,449,930 Patented June 17, 1969 ice duce both rib and non-rib fabric and having the facility to automatically change from rib knitting to plain knitting, as occasion demands. A machine of this form is equipped with a complete set of vertical frame needles selected ones of which can be withdrawn or otherwise rendered inoperative for rib knitting, and a set of horizontal machine needles which can be positioned in the spaces vacated by the selected and thus inoperative frame needles and are adapted for co-operation with the remaining, i.e. operative, frame needles during such rib knitting, provision being made in the machine for automatically transferring loops from the horizontal machine needles to the said selected frame needles as the latter are advanced and said machine needles are retracted preparatory to plain knitting on vertical frame needles only.

The present invention has reference exclusively to straight-bar knitting machines of the form just defined, and the primary object of the invention is to provide, in or for such a machine, a generally improved machine needle having certain advantages hereinafter to be described.

Another object of the invention is to provide, in conjunction with a set of the improved machine needles, a frame needle bar of generally improved form.

The machine needles constituting this invention comprise an outer element having a yarn-receiving and loop forming hook at its operative end, and a pair of inner loop-retaining elements which are longitudinally movable together and relatively to the outer element and are adapted (a) by suitable operation thereof during rib knitting, to close the hook and guide an old loop retained by the inner elements over the hook to the point where the said loop is released and cast off the needle and (b) by advancement during transfer of loops to the selected frame needles to be engaged by the hook and as a consequence laterally separated and splayed apart to spread and open out a loop to be transferred.

The reason for laterally spreading and thereby opening out a loop on the machine needle is, of course, to facilitate its penetration by a receiving frame needle.

The outer element may conveniently be fashioned from a length of tubing of a flattened section and be so formed as to have a partly channelled and partly tubular shank adapted to accommodate and provide adequate guidance for the two inner loop-retaining elements assembled closely side by side within the shank.

Each of the two inner elements may conveniently consist of a straight and elongated fiat blade the operative end of which is rabbetted to form both a loop-retaining nose, rounded at its free end or tip and an adjoining loopengaging shoulder. The free end portion of the loop-retaining nose of each of the inner elements is laterally off- 7 set by virtue of being inclined outwardly with respect to the straight blade. Apart from the fact that the two inner elements of the machine needle are opposite-hand, i.e. their laterally offset tips are respectively right-handed and left-handed, the said elements are identical in form.

In accordance with an important aspect of this invention all three elements of the improved machine needle are mounted in a common bar wherein the pair of loopretaining blades are slidable relatively to the hooked outer element.

Another feature of the present invention resides in the provision, for use in conjunction with a bar of the improved machine needles, of a bar of wholly straight frame (vertical) needle the selected, e.g alternate, ones of which are slidably mounted for movement up and down. Thus, for rib knitting, the said selected frame needles are withdrawn and rendered inoperative by virtue of being slid down, whereas for plain knitting the same needles are restored into their operative positions by being slid upwardly.

In order that the invention may be more clearly understood and readily carried into practical effect, a specific example of the improved machine needle, the common bar in which the outer and inner elements of such needles are mounted, the means for actuating the said elements and the manner in which the improved machine needles are operated for different purposes in conjunction with frame needles will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein,

FIGURE 1 is a side view of one of the composite machine needles constructed in accordance with the invention,

FIGURE 2 is a plan view of the same,

FIGURES 3 and 4 are side and plan views respectively of the outer element of the said needle per se,

FIGURE 5 is a detail cross-section taken on the line VV of FIGURE 3,

FIGURE 6 is an enlarged detail plan view of the operative hooked end of the outer element,

FIGURE 7 is a longitudinal sectional view of this hooked end taken on the line VIIVII of FIGURE 6,

FIGURES 8 and 9 are side and plan views respectively of one of the two inner loop-retaining elements of the improved machine needle,

FIGURES 10 and 11 are enlarged side and plan views respectively of the operative end of the said loop-retaining element,

FIGURE 12 is a detail cross-section taken on the line XII-XII of FIGURE 10,

FIGURE 13 is a cross-sectional view of so much of a straight-bar knitting machine as is necessary to illustrate the common bar in which the elements of the improved machine needles are mounted, the means for operating these elements and the aforementioned bar of frame needles,

FIGURE 14 is a cross-sectional view of the bar of frame needles and illustrates the mechanism by means of which alternate ones of these needles are caused to be slid up and down,

FIGURE 15 is a rear view of the said mechanism,

FIGURE 16 is a perspective view of a few machine needles shown in the positions they occupy in relation to fixed frame needles as during rib knitting,

FIGURE 17 is a plan view of the machine needle bar and of the mechanisms employed effecting the necessary relative and conjoint longitudinal movements of the outer elements and the inner loop-retaining elements of the machine needles,

FIGURES 18 and 19 are part-sectional elevations in planes at right angles illustrating the cam means for operating and controlling the mechanisms shown in FIGURE 17,

FIGURE 20 is a fragmentary detail perspective view depicting a few machine needles co-operating with frame needles during rib knitting,

FIGURE 21 is an enlarged plan view showing the manner in which the improved machine needles function to transfer loops to the slidable frame needles,

FIGURES 22-37 inclusive together constitute a sequence of detail views illustrating successive stages in the knitting of a roll welt by co-operation of the improved composites machine needles with nonslidable frame needles and sinkers, as will be hereinafter described,

FIGURES 38-42 inclusive are similar detail views depicting progressive steps in the knitting of rib fabric, and

FIGURES 43-50 inclusive illustrate successive stages in the transfer of rib loops from machine needles to slidable frame needles preparatory to plain knitting on frame needles only.

Like parts are designated by similar reference characters throughout the drawings.

The composite horizontal machine needle illustrated in FIGURES l-12 comprises an outer element, generally designated by the letter A, having a yarn-receiving and loop-forming hook 2 at its operative end, and a pair of left-hand and right-hand inner loop-retaining elements respectively designated B and B The outer element A is fashioned from a length of tubing of the flattened section portrayed in FIGURE 5, and is so formed as to have a channelled shank portion 3 and a tubular shank portion 4. The two adjoining portions 3 and 4 of the shank provide guidance for the two inner elements B and B assembled side by side within the said shank.

The operative hooked end of the shank is forwardly and downwardly inclined somewhat so that the underside of the hook 2 is below the lower straight edge 5 of the shank.

As shown more clearly in FIGURES 6 and 7, the portion 6 of the shank of the outer element A immediately behind the hook 2 is also of channelled from, by reason of the initially tubular shank being longitudinally slotted at this location, the upper edges of the spaced walls 6a of the channel 6 being upwardly shaped to provide a rounded belly formation 7 in the nature of a hump designed to maintain separated from one another a new loop in the hook and an old, i.e. previously formed, loop retained by the operative ends of the side-by-side inner elements B and B The tail end of the outer element A is furnished with an operating butt 8 for engagement in a cam-operated actuating bar 9 common to the outer and the inner elements of a series of the improved machine needles. Preferably, and as shown, this operating butt 8 extends downwards at right angles to the shank of the outer element A.

Each of the two inner loop-retaining elements B and B consists, as illustrated in FIGURES 8-12, of a straight and elongated flat blade 10 the operative end of which is rabbetted at 11 (see FIGURE 10) to form both a loopretaining nose 10a, rounded at its free end or tip, and an adjoining loop-engaging shoulder 1017.

That is to say, the loop-engaging shoulder 10b immediately adjoins the opposite end of the nose 10a. This shoulder 10b, preferably in the form of a forwardly inclined edge, adjoins the top edge of the loop-retaining nose, through a radiused portion of the blade. The free end portion of the loop-retaining nose 10a of each of the inner elements B and B may, if desired, be reduced in thickness somewhat although this is by no means essential. In any event, the said free end portion of the nose 10a is laterally offset by virtue of being inclined outwardly with respect to the straight blade 10. The laterally offset end portion of the nose 10a of the element B of each pair of inner loop-retaining elements inclines to the left whereas, of course, the corresponding offset portion of the nose of the companion element B inclines to the right. At its tail end each loop-retaining element is formed with an operating butt 12 adapted to be acted upon by a further cam-operated actuating bar 13 common to a series of machine needles (see FIGURES l3 and 17). In the specific example illustrated, the two sideby-side operating butts 12 of the pair of inner elements B and B extends upwardly through the open top of the elongated channel 3 constituting the rear end portion of the straight shank of the outer hooked element A. This arrangement accordingly permits of free and relative longitudinal sliding movement between the outer element A and the pair of inner elements B and B The tubular portion 4 of the shank of the outer element A, which is intermediate the opposite ends of the composite machine needle, is relied on to retain the inner elements B, B within the said outer element. As will be appreciated, at the location of the portion 4, the tube from which the outer element is fashioned is left wholly intact, thereby providing a complete encasement and fully embracing guide from the pair of inner elements.

The upper edges 10d of the loop-retaining noses 10a of the inner elements are below, i.e. of a less height than, the rounded belly formation 7 of the hooked outer element A. Moreover, with the hook 2 open to receive yarn, the opposite-handed laterally offset tips of these noses are disposed behind the free end of the hook and just in front of the said rounded belly formation. When, however, the outer element A is retracted. slightly the throat opening into the hook 2 becomes bridged and thus closed by the loop-retaining noses a of the inner elements B and B and the hook rests with its upper free end in the V-shaped space S (FIGURE 2) between the oppositehanded laterally offset nose tips. When, on the other hand, the inner elements B and B are advanced, during a looptransferring operation, to the point where their nose tips are in front of the hook 2, as described in FIGURES 1 and 2, then the said hook automatically engages between and forcibly separates the leading ends of the inner elements.

As previously mentioned, all three elements of the improved machine needle are mounted in a common bar 9 which serves as an actuating bar for advancing and retracting en bloc the outer elements A of a series of the needles. The bar 9 and the aforementioned actuating bar 13 for action on the two sets of operating butts 8 and 12 respectively are arranged to be operated from rotary cam means driven either from the main cam shaft or from a lay shaft driven from the main cam shaft or from a lay shaft driven from the main cam shaft of a straightbar knitting machinethrough intermediate connections of any suitable character. Thus, referring to FIGURES 13, 17, 18 and 19, it will be seen that the actuating bar 9 is supported by carrier arms 14 which extend laterally from opposite ends of the said bar and are rigidly secured upon a pair of rearwardly directed and parallel spaced rods 15. These rods are mounted for longitudinal sliding movements back and forth through bearings 16 provided in side frame members 17 of a carriage. A pin 18 projects up from each of the two rods 15. Extending immediately beneath and at right angles to the two spaced rods is a longitudinally displaceable shaft 19 (nonrotatable) which is slidable through bearings 20 provided in brackets 21 carried by or integral with the side frame members 17. At a location beneath each rod 15 is a linear cam 22 which is rigidly mounted on, and thus longitudinally displaceable together with, the shaft 19. In each of these two linear cams is formed an appropriately profiled slot 22a in which is engaged a roller 23 carried on the underside of a forked arm 24. Each arm 24 is provided at 25 upon a fixed part (not shown) and its bifurcated free end 24a engages the pin 18 projecting up from the corresponding rod 15. Accordingly, by shifting the shaft 19 to and fro, under cam control, the two forked arms will be simultaneously turned to move the rods 15, and hence also the actuating bar 9 carried thereby, back and forth, according to knitting requirements. For imparting the necessary to and fro movements to the shaft 19 there is provided a longitudinally shiftable actuating bar 26 which is combined with the said shaft in the manner depicted in FIGURES 18 and 19. The bar 26 is movable to and fro by a two armed lever 27 which is mounted to rock about a spindle 28 and carries at its lower bifurcated end a cam roll or truck 29 located between the suitably profiled peripheries of opposed operating and counter earns 30 and 31 respectively. There are, in fact, three operating cams 30, 30 and 30 arranged side by side and having respectively different profiles, the truck 29 being displaceable laterally in a selective manner for engagement by any one of the three operating cams, depending upon the desired motion to be imparted to the bar 9. Similarly, there are three corresponding counter cams. The said operating earns 30, 30 and 30 are rigidly secured upon a cross shaft 32 arranged to be driven from a shaft 33 through the medium of bevel gearing 34, 35 (FIGURE 18).

As shown in the last mentioned figures, the truck 29 is engaged by a fork 36 slidable along a rod 37 by controlled means (not shown) of any suitable character.

In a somewhat similar way, the actuating bar 13 is supported by carrier brackets 38 which are rigidly secured upon a pair of parallel spaced rods 39 disposed above and parallel to the aforementioned rods 15. The rods 39 slide back and forth through bearings 40 provided in the side frame members 17. A pin 41 projects up from each of the rods 39. At right angles to and below the two rods 39 is a non-rotatable shaft 42 which is displaceable longitudinally through bearings 43 provided in brackets 44 carried by or integral with the side frame members 17 Beneath each rod 39 is a linear cam 45 which is rigidly mounted on, and thus longitudinally displaceable together with, the shaft 42. In each of the earns 45 is formed a profiled slot 45a in which is engaged a roller 46 carried on the underside of a forked arm 47. Each arm 47 is pivoted at 48 upon a fixed part (not shown), and its bifurcated free end 47a engages the pin 41 projecting from the corresponding rod 39. Thus, by shifting the shaft 42 to and fro, under cam control, the two forked arms 47 will be turned to move the rods 39, and hence also the actuating bar 13 carried thereby, back and forth. For moving the shaft 42 to and fro there is provided an actuating bar 49 (see FIGURE 18) which is associated with the said shaft. The bar 49 is movable to and fro by a rocking lever 50 mounted to turn about the spindle 28. The bifurcated lower end of the lever 50 carried a truck 51 located between the peripheries of opposed operating and counter cams. There are three such operating cams 52, 52 and 52 arranged side by side and having respectively different profiles, the truck 51 being displaceable laterally for engagement by a selected operating cam. There are also three corresponding counter cams (not shown). The operating cams 52, 52 and 52 are rigidly secured upon the cross shaft 32 arranged to be driven as hereinbefore described. The truck 51 is engaged by a fork 53 slidable along the rod 37. The upper end of each of the two rocking levers 27 and 50 is forked in planes at right angles for sliding engagement with pivoted blocks pb provided at opposite sides of the bars 26 and 49 respectively.

In addition to the relative longitudinal sliding movements imparted to the outer and the inner elements of the machine needles, the common bar 9 housing a series of the latter may advantageously be so mounted and controlled by a rotary cam, e.g. on the main cam shaft, as to be movable up and down in the arcuate path designated ap in FIGURE 13. To facilitate such arcuate movements, the entire carriage of which the side frame members 17 form parts is mounted for rocking movement up and down about the axis of a shaft 54. The purpose of these additional arcuate movements are (i) to improve conditions for selvedging on both the frame and the machine needle bars and (ii) to facilitate control of the elements of the machine needles when forming a roll tip at the commencement of a rib knitted border or welt.

In FIGURES 13, 20 and 38-42 the reference numeral 55 indicates a conventional machine needle bar knockover blade.

For use in conjunction with the bar 9 of the improved machine needles there is provided, in the illustrated eX- ample of the invention, a bar 56 of vertical frame needles 57 the alternate ones 57 of which are slidably mounted for movement up and down. For rib knitting, the sliding frame needles 57 are slid down to the inoperative positions shown in FIGURE 16, whereas for plain knitting, the said needles are slid upwardly again into their operative positions. The frame needles 57 are fixed in the bar 56, whilst the sliding needles 57 are mounted in a vertically displaceable component 58 slidably mounted in said bar. This component 58 is connected to pairs of toggle links 59, 60 which are arranged to be straightened to raise the sliding needles 57 and broken to lower the said needles by means of a longitudinally shiftable common bar 61. An operating lever 62 pivoted at 63 and forked at its upper end for engagement with a pin 64 on the bar 61 is provided for shifting the latter alternately rightwards 

